Business

Aug82024 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

SIDA fund hike to P5B difficult but P2B being pushed for 2025

Rep. Mark Enverga (center) presides over the House Committee on Agriculture and Food hearing also attended by representatives Emilio Yulo III, Manuel Sagarbarria, Francisco Benitez and Stephen Paduano (l-r).*Kiko Benitez FB page photo An increase in the annual Sugar Industry Development Act (SIDA) fund from P2 billion to P5 billion would be very difficult at this time because of the issues on the slow absorptive capacity of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), Rep. Mark Enverga (Quezon City, 1st District) said on Thursday. August 8.But there is a unanimous position to lobby for P2 billion for 2025 for the improvement of sugar production efficiency as provided under the SIDA, he said. Only P1 billion has been allocated for 2025 in the Nat...

Aug82024 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Slow start to sugar milling on Sept. 15 expected: SRA

Business, Top Stories

Sugarcane harvest this year crop year expected to be delayed.*Ronnie Baldonado photo Sugar milling will start on September 15, but a slow start is expected, Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona of the Sugar Regulatory Administration said on Thursday, August 8. Some mills had requested for an opening on October 1 as the sugarcane is not ready for harvest after the El Niño dry spell but they could not get their acts together, he said. Azcona said he asked the Philippine Sugar Millers Association for a unified statement that they want October 1 so he would have a basis for it but they could not agree because some mills want to start earlier so he stuck to September 15.But most mills will open October 1 and big farmers will start harvesting October 1...

Aug82024 by Nanette GuadalquiverNo Comments

SRA to determine actual volume of ‘other sugars’ entering PH

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SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona (center) with Rep. Emilio Yulo III (Neg. Occ., 5th District) and UNIFED president Manuel Lamata (right) at the House hearing on amendments to the SIDA on Thursday.*CPG photo The Sugar Regulatory (SRA) is working to determine the actual volume of sugar-based products or “other sugars” entering the country, believed to be affecting the demand for domestic sugar. “The first thing we will do is we will try to require (those under) this tariff code an import clearance so we can monitor the actual volume. Once we have the actual volume, we will plan what to do next,” SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said on Thursday, August 8. Azcona, who was at the House Committee on Agriculture and Food hearing on proposed amendments to the...

Aug62024 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

WV inflation slows down but still highest in Visayas

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The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that the current inflation rate of Western Visayas slowed down to 4.8 percent, but is still 0.4 percent higher than the national average of 4.4 percent.The PSA reported on Tuesday, August 6, that the national inflation rate in July was at 4.4 percent, which accelerated by 0.7 percent compared to June’s record at 3.7 percent.With the current national average, Western Visayas recorded a 4.8 inflation rate, which is 0.1 percent lower compared to June’s 4.9 percent.This makes Western Visayas have the highest inflation rate among the Visayas regions, with Central Visayas having 4.5 percent, and Eastern Visayas with 4.4 percent.PSA stated that the 4.4 inflation rate for July was attributed to the higher year-on-year increase in the ind...

Aug62024 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

DOE bares fuel prices for Bacolod, NegOcc

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The average prices of gasoline in Bacolod City range from P63 to P64 per liter, while diesel is at P58.60/L, the highest among the cities in Negros Occidental, a Department of Energy report said.Based on their price monitoring of liquid fuel from July 30 to Aug. 5, the average price of RON 91 gasoline was at P63.25/L, while RON 95 was at P64.25/L.DOE said various oil companies have implemented a decrease in petroleum products’ prices.Gasoline, diesel, and kerosene have decreased by P0.75/L, P0.65 to P0.85, and P0.80 per liter, respectively.The overall price range of RON 91 is P55.15 to P72.66/L, RON 95 gasoline is P59.95 to P75.75, and diesel at 53.90 to P69.35/L.Price monitoring in the cities of San Carlos, Cadiz, and Kabankalan were also conducted by the DOE.Recor...

Aug52024 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Globe continues to block increasing child porn, illegal gambling sites

Business

Globe continues to demonstrate its unwavering commitment to online safety and protection, sustaining its efforts to block access to child pornography and illegal gambling sites.In the first half of 2024, Globe successfully intercepted 1,718 domains and 190,167 URLs related to child pornography, a substantial rise from the 1,295 domains and 129,652 URLs blocked during the same period in 2023, a press release from the firm said.Similarly, Globe intensified its crackdown on illegal gambling sites, deactivating 2,726 domains in the first six months of 2024, compared to 1,828 in the same period the previous year.Since the initiation of its #MakeITSafePH campaign in 2017, Globe has actively aligned its initiatives with the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 (Republic Act 9775), which...

Jul242024 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Beef prices increase slightly, PVO reports

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The Provincial Veterinary Office reported a P1.25 per kilogram increase in the average price of beef, and a slight decrease in other meat prices in Negros Occidental. The PVO reported that the current average price of beef is at P389.99/kilo, which is P1.25 higher than July 15 at P388.74/kilo.Meanwhile, the average price of pork decreased by P0.31 per kilogram, chevon or goat meat by P0.92/kilo, and chicken meat by P0.14/kilo.Records showed that average price of carabeef remained at P385.63, pork prices decreased from P324 to P323.69/kilo, chevon from P388.25 to P387.33, and broiler chicken from P200.22 to P200.08. The PVO also reported that for market hogs or slaughtered pigs, Hinoba-an town has the highest buying price for liveweight at P180/kilo.*

Jul222024 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

NONECO power rates increase by P6.56/kWh

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Member consumers of the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative will pay P6.56 per kilowatt-hour more this month. NONECO announced on Monday, July 22, that their power rates will increase by P6.5625/kWh from P9.2302/kWh in June to P15.7927/kWh this month. NONECO attributed the increase to the additional 25 percent Wholesale Electric Spot Market (WESM) bill that was deferred by the Energy Regulatory Commission on June 13. Apart from the 25 percent additional WESM charge, NONECO also said that the increase in the WESM market price was P0.2741/kWh. Earlier the Central Negros Electric Cooperative and Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative announced increases in their power rates this month by P0.5825/kWh and P1.3119/kWh, respectively....

Jul212024 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Expect mixed movement in fuel prices on Tuesday

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Expect mixed movement in fuel prices on Tuesday, July 23. Diesel prices should go down by P0.30 to P0.50 per liter, Unioil Petroleum Philippines forecasted Saturday. Gasoline prices will have no change to an increase by P0.20 per liter, Unioil also forecasted. Kerosene may have a rollback of P0.60 to P0.70 per liter, the Department of Energy also said.*

Jul212024 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Cadiz PalengQR-Ph Plus ready – mayor

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Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. at the launching of PalengQR-PH Plus program in Cadiz City on Thursday, July 18.*Bilis Cadiz photo Cadiz City is PalengQR-Ph Plus ready, Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. announced. "We are always ready to embrace the digital world…This will benefit the people we ought to serve", Escalante said during its launching on Thursday, July 18. PalengQR-Ph Plus is a joint initiative of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), a press release from Cadiz City said on Sunday, July 21. It encourages cashless transactions using QR Ph, the national standard for quick response or QR codes, a priority initiative under the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2022-2028. ...